Milano a Lugano (Cont.)

Ascending the Alps

…

A peaceful night passed, and the morning sang new beginnings. I am not much of a football (soccer) fanatic nowadays, but I love the sport very much. I wasn’t the type to support my local team, but whoever played the most captivating game with flair at the time captured my heart. For those uncertain about where I’m going with this, I’ll spill the beans and say Milano is home to two giants of world football. They are competing rivals and sworn enemies that ironically share a home. This derby can sometimes spiral out of control and require authority intervention. The A.C. Milan stars were like superheroes to me. I couldn’t believe the day had come when I could visit my dream pitch. The plan was to start driving after lunch. We hurried and grabbed our luggage because this was also our last day in Italy. We parked our car at a train station parking lot and took the metro to the San Siro. The previous UEFA Champions’ League Final had taken place here, and the remnants were clear and visible. We walked out of the underground station, and behold… a sight that I wouldn't forget unless I tried. It was the stadium with its coiling pillars on all corners. The museum here is a hot destination that shelters the rich history of two giants who boast an impressive collection of trophies separately and combined. I witnessed such greatness in one room split into two sections – red and blue. As a “Rossoneri”, I started from my favorite side and made my way around. Legends from all the decades had their jerseys preserved with pride, and so were their silverware. We toured the locker rooms and then the fan store, where I wanted a €90 new home kit I couldn’t leave with. We toured the grounds (where I was informed Rihanna had a concert the previous night) and left. I started to feel like I was missing out on some key events, arriving at the scene late. Satisfied by our visit and how the trip is going, life had other plans for us without leaving any omens behind.

 Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan (2016)

Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023

We returned to where we had parked our car, hungry and tired. What we saw was the last thing we needed on the second day of a trip. We came around the passenger side, only to find the back window shattered and the trunk space exposed. All our luggage was gone, no one in sight, and an ocean of other cars parked around us, unbothered and untampered. It just didn’t make sense; none of us could believe it. Not a single clue and no one was responsible at the scene. Pandemonium hit, and our local guy (the only one who could speak Italian) called the police. It was so ironic to see our panic and shock in a parking lot where you hear more breezes than door slams. Security was very indifferent to responding or being accountable. They are used to this and basically told us to get over it. Finally, the police picked up. Our pleas didn’t register in their heads. They told us to come to the station and file a report, despite the fact that we can’t get insurance to cover the window repair (because that requires a police report). Without a fixed window, it is not allowed to drive. See the problematic circle? Recovering our stuff was out of the picture; we just wanted to leave in peace. I was very naïve for expecting a Hollywood-style 911 emergency response. We drove to the nearest police station with our tails between our legs. It must have been the Swiss license plate that exposed us to a burglary in broad daylight. The police station is terribly maintained, and its bathroom hygiene still haunts me. We collected the police report and left. We still needed to shop for the essentials we needed. I was only left with what I wore and had in my pockets. I always remember how this day shaped my attachment to possessions. What I call “The Lampugnano Heist” only made me stronger and more capable of letting go at will.

All of us were feeling down on the car ride. Gradually, the city seemed like a villain urging us to leave and never return. Despite driving around with a broken window, the summer heat was starting to take its toll on us. Starving and angry, we headed for a shopping mall where we could grab lunch and buy some clothes and toiletry. I had some of the best pizza I had ever tasted. Maybe this was the only thing that could lift my spirit. I never expected the trip to start this way. I also never expected to be served by a Chinese waitress who spoke Italian. I never expected to see dark-skinned Africans working as security guards at rows of clothing stores as if there was no other job they could get. This is one of the truths about the state of the world that I had to come to terms with. It seemed dystopian yet beautiful, fun yet so taxing, almost sacrificial. This city has seduced me in so many ways. The responsive and inviting green-eyed beauties that shyly giggle hearing my English have their charms. The food disarms and soothes your ache and is sprawling in every eatery. We had a long drive ahead of us, and it was time to recover from a setback nobody anticipated. The scenery is poster-worthy; it looks like something out of a postcard. Meadows and vineyards on either side were the last sights I saw before heading into the mountains. Small churches and towns with such a warming atmosphere made me dream of retiring here someday. Italy is so romantic, and I fell under a spell despite everything that did and didn't happen. We headed towards the border and cruised by without an issue. The transition was seamless, and the broken window ended up being a plus. The landscape was drawing us in as we ascended the alps. My uncle wanted to cheer us up and suggested stopping by Lugano, a city in the Italian-Swiss area, just past the world-famous Lake Como.

We crossed a long bridge and had our eyes warmed with saturated green and blue. Lugano was above and beyond what I imagined. You can’t tell this is in Switzerland because it felt so Mediterranean and warm. Well, it is the time of the year and location, but there is something to it that I still can’t wrap my head around. People, I can truly testify, are happy here. Time slows down, and everything feels magical in fairy Disney fashion. Lugano is a small, low-key city on the northern shore of the glacial lake Lugano. Sounds Swiss now, huh? We walked around and took our time exploring the main piazza and inner blocks. There were people of all ages in their best moods. You can find it all here, children running around, sage couples sitting on benches and gazing at each other with dreamy eyes. There are locals and tourists who, like me, were enchanted by this convivial atmosphere. It is as if nothing could go wrong in Lugano. Dare I say it’s all sunshine and rainbows? This is what paradise on earth must look like. We spent some time enjoying gelato and the view by the pier, wondering if the clock even works in this wormhole in space. I couldn’t help myself and opted to take a paddleboat for a spin. I paddled my way into a breathtaking wallpaper. I feel alive; the troubles of Italy are behind me. It is now time to take on the mighty alps to see the world beyond.